Also went by the nicknames Merle or Opal.

Knowing the extreme obstacles she faced in her early adult life, with a bitter divorce, a devastating illness, then being a single parent, and her own family turning their backs on her at a time she needed them the most: I understand why she did some of the things she did. She did what she had to do to survive. And I admire and respect her for it. She was one tough lady.

Muriel and her third husband, J. B. "Snooks" Clark were long time members of Polytechnic Church of Christ throughout the many years that they lived in Fort Worth, TX. They were married 50 years when she died. An Eastern Star member.

Grandmother (or Mammaw as I called her) had many hobbies, mostly things she could do at home and make money on. She raised and bred bulldogs, poodles, parrots, exotic birds. She also raised day lilies , irises, & fruit trees. She named some of her hybrid flowers for each of her grandchildren. Before she became too ill, my grandparents raised angus cattle on a small ranch in Azle, TX.

She was also a artist and did beautiful landscapes in oil paints. I am privileged to own a couple. A very talented lady. She was also a very good cook. My favorite thing she made was homemade yeast rolls. The whole neighborhood smelled good when she baked those.

Several times over the years she was called on to take in her grandchildren and brought us into her home willingly and without complaint. She was a strict, but loving grandmother. My brother Byron and I lived there twice over the years, for over a year each time. We often spent summers there as well as holidays. Other times she brought our two younger siblings in to care for them as well, when the need arose. Typically we
were separated from our siblings with one person taking the older two and one person taking the younger two. Which was sad but to ask someone to take on 4 children is too much for most people.

She made sure we always had clean clothes, good food on the table, a nice roof over our heads, and were taught good manners. She had us in church every time the doors opened. She also had us in scouts and all school related activities. She paid for me to have piano lessons. She provided us with a normal, well balanced lifestyle; in spite of the chaos around us created by our parents, who were going through a bitter divorce. She was a wonderful grandmother. I love her dearly. She deserved much better than she got in life.

Marriage 1: Married Isaac Dewey Griffin May 8, 1924. One son born, Marlin Eldes Griffin in 1925. Divorced Dewey in 1928.

Marriage 2: Married Charles Virgil Whitworth 1928. Divorced.

Marriage 3: Married J. B. Clark September 9, 1938. They were happily married almost 50 years, until her death.